New author series biggest in Thurber House history

The Thurber House's upcoming "Evening with Authors" winter and spring series will include award-winning writers in genres such as humor, mystery and romance.

The Thurber House's upcoming "Evening with Authors" winter and spring series will include award-winning writers in genres such as humor, mystery and romance.

The series will run Jan. 19 through May 25 and includes seven authors, making it the largest in the series' history.

The events begin at 7:30 p.m., with six being held at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave., and the March 15 event occurring at the Columbus Schools for Girls, 56 S. Columbia Ave.

"The authors themselves have been a tremendous advocate for our events," said Susanne Jaffe, executive director of the Thurber House. "What has happened is as authors have come to our event that they have had such a wonderful time they go back to their publishers and say this is a great event."

Starting the series will be Jayne Anne Phillips, author of "Machine Dreams." Her most recent work, "Lark & Termite," is a coming of age tale about a young girl and her disabled brother. The book garnered rave reviews and was a National Book Award nominee for fiction.

"I have always wanted (to bring) Jayne Anne Phillips" to Thurber House, Jaffe said. "Part of this is a very personal thing. I'm a huge fan of the authors we bring in."

The rest of the series includes:

• Feb. 4: Lisa See, the author of five previous bestsellers, including the New York Times best sellers "Peony in Love," "Snow Flower" and "Secret Fan."

• Feb. 17: Adriana Trigiani, the author of the young adult novel "Viola in Reel Live" and "Brava, Valentine" and "Very Valentine."

• March 15: Carol Goodman, the author of "The Lake of the Dead Languages" and "The Night Villa." She will read from her latest novel "Arcadia Fall," a suspense story about a mother and daughter who move into a sinister boarding school.

• April 1: Ohio native and humorist Christopher Moore, author of 12 novels, will read from his latest novel, "Bite Me, A Love Story," the third in a series about vampires in love.

• April 15: Laurie Notaro, 2009 finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor for her collection of essays, "The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death." She will read from her new novel, "Spooky Little Girl," a comedy about supernatural revenge.

• May 25: Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher mystery novels, will read from his latest book "61 Hours." Child's novel, due out in May, follows the anti-hero Reacher through an unexpected adventure that starts in a South Dakota blizzard.

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